Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Copyright: EU Law

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of theimpact of the EU Article 13 copyright directive on the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord henley: The powers to implement Copyright Directive via secondary legislation are found in the European Communities Act 1972. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Government would not have access to these powers and would not be able implement the Directive. The UK has one of the world’s best intellectual property frameworks, and we will continue to keep it under review to ensure that it is suitable for the digital age.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Jamal Khashoggi

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 March (HL14319), whether they will now answer the question put, namelywhat support they are giving to the government of Turkey in its request for those accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to be returned to stand trial in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary has said, the Government condemns Jamal Khashoggi's killing in the strongest possible terms. The Government remains clear that anyone found responsible must be held fully accountable.The ongoing Saudi judicial process is an important element in the process to establish accountability. The question of those accused standing trial in Turkey is a matter to be resolved by the Turkish and Saudi Arabian governments.

Israel: Palestinians

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the purpose of President Trump’s senior advisor Jared Kushner’s visit to Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates on 25to 28 February was discussed with them in advance; and whether they have received any subsequent debriefs on the visit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary spoke to Jared Kushner on 13 March when they discussed his recent visit to the region. We are aware that the purpose of the trip was to discuss the US' peace plan. We have encouraged our American counterparts to bring forward detailed proposals for a viable Israel-Palestinian peace agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of both parties. We continue to believe the best way to achieve this is through substantive peace talks between the parties leading to a two-state solution with Jerusalem as a shared capital.

Egypt: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of rising authoritarianism in Egypt and the impactof any such rise on regional stability; and whether they have had any discussions with the government of Egyptabout theproposed constitutional changes which would extend the presidential term from four to six years and would allow increased presidential controls over the judiciary.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Egyptians have repeatedly demonstrated their desire for a secure, prosperous, and democratic country. Egyptians must determine their own future and we are committed to supporting them. We want to see more political progress in Egypt - better protection of Egyptians' constitutional rights, freedom of expression and more space for NGOs and civil society. We are following the constitutional amendments being discussed in the Egyptian Parliament, which could extend Presidential term limits to six years. We understand these will be put to the people in a referendum, in line with the Egyptian constitution. We hope that any changes will protect the rights and freedoms essential for Egypt's long-term stability.

Rwanda: Uganda

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the rising tensions between Rwanda and Uganda; andwhat steps they have taken to reduce tensions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Good relations between Uganda and Rwanda are vital to ensuring stability and prosperity in the African Great Lakes region. The British High Commissioners to Uganda and Rwanda have discussed current tensions with Government representatives of both countries. We hope that Uganda and Rwanda, with the support of the region, will work together to resolve their differences.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Belgium to ascertain whether any of the interest accrued on frozen Libyan assets held in Belgium has been sent back to individuals or state institutions in Libya.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Belgium about the disposal of frozen Libyan assets held in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly discuss Libya sanctions measures and their implementation with our EU partners, as part of our support for UN-led efforts to bring greater stability to the country.

EU Action

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many EU legislative proposals the UK has voted against at the Council of Ministers since 2009; and how many of those proposals were withdrawn as a result.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: This information is not held centrally and to compile it would incur disproportionate cost. Information on European Union (EU) legislation can be found on the EU website.

Nigeria: Violence

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appeal of bishops in Nigeria’s Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to urgently convene a stakeholders’ meetingto halt the killings and escalating violence in the Kajuru Local Government Area and elsewhere in the Kaduna State; and whether they support such an appeal.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The violence in Kajuru Local Government Area has escalated through a cycle of reprisal attacks, causing suffering to all sides. We welcome a number of local initiatives aimed at bringing together community and traditional leaders to address the violence. We urge restraint from further violence. We also urge communities to cooperate with the Kaduna state government and security agencies in their efforts to protect residents and, together, search for longer-term peaceful solutions to the conflict.

Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to transferring British nationals detained in Syria or Iraq to the UK to be prosecuted for their involvement and complicity in the atrocities perpetrated by Daesh; and what discussions they have had, if any, with the governments of Syriaand Iraq in relation to such transfers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are in ongoing discussions with our partners concerning the future of Daesh members detained by the Syrian Defence Forces in north-east Syria. If a UK national does return from Syria, it is for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to decide if they should be prosecuted.We have no diplomatic engagement with the Syrian regime, and therefore we have had no recent discussions with them about transferring British nationals detained in Syria to the UK or any other subject.

Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of the United States about Daesh fighters of British nationality being transferred to the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close. We continue to engage with the US Government on this issue, as we do on a range of national security issues.

Islamic State: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL Deb, cols 1523–5), what discussionsthey have hadwith thegovernment of Iraq in relation to the evidence received from the mass graves’ investigative team established by the UN Security Council Resolution 2379; what is the current estimate of the number of British nationals detained in (1) Iraq, and (2) Syria, awaiting prosecution for involvement and complicity in Daesh atrocities; and whatestimate they have madeof the number of British nationals related to Daesh fighters remaining in the territory of (1) Iraq, and (2) Syria and who are awaiting transfer to the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Our Embassy in Baghdad has had regular discussions with the Government of Iraq and the UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Daesh, encouraging close co-operation between them to achieve justice for the victims of Daesh's crimes. For security reasons, we do not comment on the numbers of British nationals who are detained or suspected of being linked to Daesh. We continue to work with partners in the pursuit of justice and ensure that where crimes have been committed, individuals are brought to justice in accordance with due legal process.

Omar al-Bashir

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on civil servants, business people, or British visitors to Sudan meetingOmar al-Bashir following his indictment by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity; and whether the UK–Sudan Strategic Dialogue due to take place in spring 2019 will be cancelled.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In line with long established policy British Government officials and Ministers avoid all non-essential contact with all those indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is for private individuals to make their own decisions about whether to hold meetings with ICC indictees. No date is confirmed for the next Strategic Dialogue. We continue to monitor the situation and keep this under review.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of Palestinian children who are, or have been, detained by Israeli forces in circumstances that break human rights and international laws; whether they intend to take action in response to that assessment; if so, what; and if not, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to have strong concerns about reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention, with a particular focus on minors. British ministers and officials continue to make repeated representations to the Israeli Government about detention practices. We advocate for the mandatory use of audio-visual recording of interrogations, a reduction in the use of single hand ties, alternatives to night arrests and for the Israeli authorities to inform more consistently detained children of their legal rights. We also continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers.

Palestinians: Wells

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel about the demolition by Israeli forces of a water well in Umm Al-Nir.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any representations on this specific matter, the UK has raised concerns over access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. We call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Palestinians: Schools

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following reports of the demolition of a school annex in Shufat Refugee Camp, what steps they will take to uphold the rights of Palestinian children to education.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The right to education is a basic right, and every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. That is why the UK continues to support education through our funding to the Palestinian Authority and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees. Last year, UK support contributed towards the salaries of approximately 33,000 public servants under the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, including teachers, helping 25,000 young Palestinians to receive an education. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties and we call on them to cease the policy of demolitions.

Palestinians: Water Supply

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, made on 18 March, that Israel is depriving Palestinians access to a regular supply of clean water.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East is of great concern and we remain concerned about the quality and quantity of water available to residents of Gaza and the West Bank. We have made clear to Israel our ongoing concerns about its conduct of the occupation, including its impact on the distribution of natural resources. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about reports that Israeli police refused to remove their shoes when walking on prayer mats and brought alcohol onto Temple Mount.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not raised the specific case in question, the UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the status quo to ensure the safety and the security of the Al Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount and all who worship there.

Department for International Development

Syria: Overseas Aid

lord mcconnell of glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much UK Official Development Assistance expenditure will be invested in development and humanitarian support in Syria; and through which organisations that support will be directed.

lord bates: As one of the largest donors to the crisis since 2011, the UK remains at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Syria. Our support is focused on providing humanitarian assistance to those in most acute need. To date, we have pledged over £2.8 billion of Official Development Assistance to the Syria crisis – our largest response to a single humanitarian crisis – to alleviate the extreme suffering inside Syria and provide vital support to refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries. This includes our recent pledge at the third annual “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region Conference”, where we committed to provide at least £400 million towards the Syria crisis in 2019. UK funding is currently implemented through 16 agencies, including the UN, international NGOs and some private sector companies, which deliver much needed food, clean water, shelter and healthcare. For security reasons, we do not publicly disclose the identity of our partners operating in Syria.

Syria: Yazidis

lord mcconnell of glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much financial support, if any, they plan to provide for psychological services to those members of the Yazidi community captured by ISIS and now located in Syria.

lord mcconnell of glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much financial support, if any, they plan to provide for psychological services to those members of the Yazidi community captured by ISIS and nowreturned to Iraq.

lord bates: UK humanitarian support is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. However, we remain concerned about appalling crimes committed against minorities in Syria and Iraq, including the Yezidi community. We expect our partners, including the UN and NGOs which implement our aid programmes, to ensure they are doing all they can to support the most vulnerable people, including those who have suffered religious persecution. In Iraq, UK aid is primarily delivered through UN OCHA's Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHF), to which the UK was the largest donor in 2018. The IHF is the main international humanitarian mechanism in Iraq and health - including psychosocial support - is its largest component. Work to provide healthcare services to 1.2 million more people this year, including Yezidis, has already begun. UK aid has also enabled the UN Trust Fund to support the Free Yezidi Foundation which runs a centre in Northern Iraq providing access to a psychologist and a trauma programme for women and children who have suffered under Daesh. The UK is providing £75,000 in support to the SEED Foundation which delivers gender-focused mental health and psycho-social support training in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This work will benefit women from many communities across the Kurdistan Region, including Yezidis. In Syria, UK aid has provided more than £40 million this financial year to support the most vulnerable people in areas liberated from Daesh. Across Northeast Syria, this includes mental health support, child protection and education, support to demining and assisting survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

lord mcconnell of glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much UK Official Development Assistance expenditure will be invested in development and humanitarian support in Iraq; and through which organisations that support will be directed.

lord bates: DFID has committed £252.5 million in humanitarian support to Iraq since 2014, providing a vital lifeline to millions with shelter, medical care and clean water. The largest recipient of UK aid has been UN OCHA's Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHF), which distributes funding to downstream partners in line with the Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan 2019. The UK has committed over £103 million towards stabilisation in Iraq since 2015, through the Conflict Security and Stabilisation Fund. The largest recipient of this funding is the UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS), which helps stabilise areas liberated from Daesh by repairing infrastructure and reopening vital facilities such as hospitals and schools. This year, £16 million has also been allocated from DFID's ODA budget to the Iraq Reform and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF), run by the World Bank. The IRRF will support Government of Iraq-led reconstruction efforts through the provision of technical assistance, and support the implementation of longer-term economic reform and development. Plans for Official Development Aid expenditure in Iraq in the 2019/20 financial year are still to be confirmed.

Department for Education

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

lord oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding was provided per pupil in cash terms for students in(1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in England in each year since 2010.

lord oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage increase or decrease in real terms per pupil funding for students in (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in England in each year since 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: The total of schools funding and funding per pupil in cash terms from 2010-11 to 2018-19 are set out in following tables. Breaks in the funding system do not allow for like for like comparisons. Table 1Funding 2010-11 to 2012-13Financial year2010-112011-122012-13Funding for schools (£ million)36,50637,169.9038,037.70Funding per pupil (£)5,1435,1695,245 For the financial year 2010-11, the figures includes the total Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) (schools block, early years block and the high needs block), and other schools related grants. From 2011-12 the total funding figures includes the DSG, the pupil premium and other schools related grants.Table 2Funding 2013-14 to 2018-19Financial year2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19Funding for schools (£ million)40,86142,46643,96544,41345,74246,332High Needs Block (£ million)4,9675,1845,2475,3005,8276,115Schools Block (£ million)30,41230,65532,16832,65033,09433,684Schools block unit of funding (£)4,5514,5554,6124,6364,619n/aSchools block primary unit of funding (£)n/an/an/an/an/a4,058Schools block secondary unit of funding (£)n/an/an/an/an/a5,229 From 2013-14, per pupil funding figures are based on the DSG schools block only. Schools receive funding on top of this through the pupil premium, primary PE and sport premium, Year 7 Catch Up premium and the grant to support universal infant free school meals (from 2014-2015). In 2017-18, the balance between the schools and high needs block was re-set, with some £250 million being transferred from the schools block to the high needs block, to better reflect the actual spending decisions that local authorities had been taking. This accounts for the apparent reduction in the School Block Unit of Funding in that year. Before 2018-19, schools block funding was not allocated separately for primary and secondary phases. The government publishes gross domestic product deflators that can be used to understand the impact of inflation over time. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-october-2018-budget-2018.

Pupil Exclusions

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of children who were off-rolled from school rolls between January 2016 and January 2017; and what action they intend to take to prevent schools treating vulnerable students in this way.

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the educational impact on children of removing them from school rolls between January 2016 and January 2017, in particular on those who (1) have special educational need or disabilities, and (2) receive free school meals.

lord agnew of oulton: Information on the number of pupils’ names deleted from schools’ admissions registers is not held centrally.In 2016 the department amended the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, placing a duty on all schools to notify the local authority whenever a pupil’s name is added to or deleted from the admission register and to provide the authority with relevant information. The aim of this change was to protect vulnerable children at risk of harm, exploitation or extremism and going missing from education. Evidence of non-compliance can lead to a school inspection. In addition, local authorities should trace those children and ensure that they receive full-time education.The department is in the process of reviewing these regulations and a report setting out the conclusions of that review will be published later this year.

Voluntary Schools: Capital Investment

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Guidance and criteria for proposers bidding for capital funding to support the establishment of a new voluntary aided school, published in December 2018, what evidence they had of improving the diversity within the governing body of a school supporting greater inclusion and integration in, and between, communities.

lord agnew of oulton: The guidance and criteria for the voluntary-aided capital scheme sets out how new voluntary- aided schools will need to support inclusivity and integration within and between communities and explains that diversity on the governing body is a way for proposers to demonstrate their commitment to this.The bids received in the first round of the voluntary-aided capital scheme are currently being assessed, and the outcome of that assessment will be announced in due course once the assessment stage is complete.

Universities

lord grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byViscount Younger of Leckie on 7 March (HL Deb, col 717), whether they will set out the bodies representing different groups of universities with which they have dealings; and whether they will indicate in each case the membership of the group.

viscount younger of leckie: The Department for Education (DfE) deals with numerous stakeholders in the higher education (HE) sector. The bodies representing HE providers are set out below. Universities UK is a membership body that includes the vice chancellors of most UK universities. Its membership can be found at: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/about/Pages/member-institutions.aspx; GuildHE represents a number of smaller and specialist HE providers. Its membership can be found at: https://guildhe.ac.uk/our-members/; and Independent HE (formerly Study UK) is a UK membership organisation and national representative body for independent providers of HE (alternative providers) and professional training and pathway providers. Its membership can be found at: http://independenthe.com/members.  The DfE also deal with the following self-organised mission groups: The Russell Group is an association of 24 long-established universities. Its membership can be found at: https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/; Million+ describes itself as a university think-tank, whose members are mainly more recently established universities. Its membership can be found at: http://www.millionplus.ac.uk/who-we-are/members; and University Alliance represents a number of post92 universities. Its membership can be found at: https://www.unialliance.ac.uk/alliance-universities/.

Bourne End Academy

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the statutory basis for the decision to transfer Bourne End Academy from Wycombe High School Academy Trust to E-ACT; and what guarantees have been given to parents whose children currently attend Bourne End Academy about its long-term future.

lord agnew of oulton: Bourne End Academy (BEA) was transferred to E-ACT, following a joint decision by the department and Wycombe High School Academies Trust. It was agreed that the next phase for BEA would be for the school to move into a larger multi academy trust with the resources and capacity to continue to build on the improvements already achieved. BEA was subsequently transferred to E-ACT on 1 September 2018. A consultation is now open to consider the closure of E-ACT Burnham Park Academy, with pupils currently attending the school expected to complete their studies at BEA.The department is committed to securing the best possible educational outcomes for pupils at BEA, working with all relevant parties to secure this. Ofsted will retain its responsibility for monitoring the school and for conducting any future inspections.

Careers and Enterprise Company: Finance

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether future funding for the Careers and Enterprise Company has been assured; and, if so, why that funding decision was taken before the Comprehensive Spending Review.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Education on 10 December 2014 (HC Deb, cols 891–3), whether a date has been set for theCareers and Enterprise Company to become self-sustaining; and if so, what is that date.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what groundsadditional funding for the Careers and Enterprise Company has been approved for the recruitment of the post of (1) a Head of Government and Public Relations at a salary of £40–50,000; and (2) a Communications Manager at a salary of £48,000.

lord agnew of oulton: Funding for the Careers & Enterprise Company for the financial year 2020-21 onwards will be agreed once the government’s next Spending Review has concluded and details of the department’s budget are confirmed.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education said in 2014 that the Careers & Enterprise Company would sustain itself in the longer term. Since then, the government has asked the company to take on an expanded role to help deliver the government’s careers strategy. The company is supporting schools and colleges to improve their careers provision in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. We will shortly publish a revised sustainability plan alongside the 2019-20 Grant Funding Agreement on the company’s website at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/.Funding for all staff salaries at the Careers & Enterprise Company comes from the overall grant funding agreement. The total grant for 2018-19 was £30.2 million. The company recently advertised for a Parliamentary and Government Relations Manager at £40,000 to £50,000 and a Communications Manager at £42,000 to £48,000. Salaries are benchmarked against civil service roles and are on a par with similar organisations.

Ministry of Justice

Hare Coursing: Prosecutions

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions for hare coursing there were in the UK in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, (5) 2017, and (6) 2018.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutionsfor hare coursing were brought to trialwhich did not lead to a guilty verdict in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, (5) 2017, and (6) 2018.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice has published data on the number of people prosecuted and convicted in England and Wales up to December 2017 for the following hare coursing offences: Participating in a hare coursing eventAttending a hare coursing eventKnowingly facilitating a hare coursing eventPermitting land to be used for the purpose of a hare coursing eventPermitting etc a dog to participate in a hare coursing event Figures can be found in the table below, if an offence does not appear in the table, it means there were no prosecutions or convictions for it in the period given. Data for 2018 will be published in May 2019. Table 1. Number of prosecutions and convictions for hare coursing offences in England and Wales, 2013-2017. 20132014201520162017Attending a hare coursing eventProsecuted113---Convicted8----Participating in a hare coursing event Prosecuted12-861Convicted4-4--

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the sample size used to inform the design of the benefit cap policy.

baroness buscombe: The rationale behind the benefit cap policy is set out in the Impact Assessment, which supported the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. The final update was published in August 2016 and is attached. DWP and HMRC administrative data was used to inform the design of the benefit cap policy, and sample data was not used.



Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 300.68 KB)

Housing Benefit

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 20 March (HL14427), what guidance they have given tolocal authorities to assess the amount of housing benefit to which those individuals identified as entitled to income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) but who were moved to contributory-based ESA from incapacity benefit would have been entitled, and on the steps taken to compensate those individuals for any loss.

baroness buscombe: As part of the ESA underpayment exercise we are informing local authorities of any new, past awards of income-related ESA in line with our business as usual procedures; including guidance on treatment of awards for past periods. This will support local authorities to consider any possible impacts of the ESA underpayment exercise and pay any arrears of past Housing Benefit that are due. Our focus is on paying arrears to claimants in line with the primary legislation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Eggs: Imports

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byLord Gardiner of Kimble to Lord Cunningham of Felling on 19 March (HL Deb, col 1365), how that response is consistent with (1) their recent announcement on farming tariffs, and (2) the operation of Council Regulation (EC) No 5/2001 of 19 December 2000 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government remains committed to high standards of animal welfare and food safety. In the event of no deal, existing UK import standards will still apply and the level of tariff applied does not change what can and cannot be imported. Furthermore, existing EU egg marketing standards will be retained in UK law once we leave the EU. Where the UK cannot sufficiently guarantee that imported eggs are equivalent to these Regulations, the eggs must be clearly labelled as not meeting the UK standard. This will provide the necessary clarity to enable consumers to make informed purchasing choices.

Rural Areas: Community Development

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen rural communities.

lord gardiner of kimble: This Government wants thriving rural areas with strong and sustainable economies and vibrant communities, and for those living and working in rural areas to have the same opportunities as those in towns and cities. Our rural communities already have many strengths. Employment in rural areas is higher than the UK average, and unemployment lower. Well-being is higher. The Government has, however, taken steps to address the challenges faced by rural communities. The Government recognises the importance of fast and reliable broadband and mobile connectivity in rural areas. Superfast broadband is now available to over 96% of UK premises and is expected to reach around 97% over the next few years. The Universal Service Obligation will ensure universal broadband coverage of at least 10Mbps by 2020. The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review published in July last year proposed an ‘outside in’ approach to delivery of full fibre which will ensure that the final 10% of premises across the UK, mostly in rural areas, are not left behind. The Department for Transport has funded 37 pilot “Total Transport” schemes to improve rural transport and supported community transport operators by providing £25 million of funding through the Community Minibus Fund for over 400 new vehicles. Rural businesses can qualify for rate relief if they are in an area with a population below 3,000, and if they are either the only village shop with a rateable value of up to £8,500, or the only public house or petrol station with a rateable value of up to £12,500. In December 2017, the Government announced £370 million of funding (from April 2018 to March 2021) to secure the future of the UK’s Post Office network. Of that funding, £160 million is helping to protect the “last shop in the village” community branches and to ensure everyone continues to have access to their local branch. On healthcare, the Government has extended the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme which provides a £20,000 salary supplement for newly qualified GPs who take up offers to work in hard to recruit areas. In 2018, 265 places were funded and a further 276 locations have been identified for posts commencing in August 2019. The Pharmacy Access Scheme is safeguarding a baseline level of patient access to a bricks and mortar pharmacy, protecting rural pharmacies and this vital service for rural communities. Defra will soon be launching a £3 million grant fund to help improve village halls, making them more accessible and useful to the communities they serve and helping to alleviate issues such as isolation and loneliness. Linked to this Defra has set up a rural loneliness forum and is encouraging the Defra-funded network of rural community councils to focus on actions to tackle loneliness as part of the Government’s Loneliness Strategy.

Home Office

Street Preachers

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to police officers on dealing with incidents involving street preachers.

baroness williams of trafford: The right to freedom of expression is a vital part of a democratic society. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to share their views with others.There is a responsibility that comes with these rights and a person’s views and actions must not cross the boundary into criminal acts. The exercise of police powers in an individual case where they suspect a criminal act has been committed is an operational matter for the police.

Hate Crime

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been arrested as a result of a speech they have made in each year since 2010; in each case, what were those individuals' (1) religious, and (2) political affiliations; and how many such arrests resulted in a successful prosecution.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold centrally the information requested.The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests for notifiable offences on a financial year basis, however, specific details about the offence are not collected so it is not possible to separately identify those made as a result of a speech.Data on the number of arrests, by offence group, are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-walesThe Home Office does not hold information on the political affiliation or religious beliefs of those arrested.Information on prosecutions and convictions is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.



Police Powers and Procedures Eng & Wales 
(PDF Document, 1.14 MB)

Terrorism

lord stone of blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have of the likelihood of a terror attack in the UK as a result of tensions resulting from their ban on direct flights to Sharm el-Sheikh.

baroness williams of trafford: The terrorist threat level to the UK is kept under constant review by the independent Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre, whose judgements about the threat level are made on the basis of the very latest intelligence. The current threat level from international terrorism is judged to be SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Immigration: Internet

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are takingto ensure that those applying for settled status who donot have a device capable of accessing the internet are still able to apply.

baroness williams of trafford: The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is straightforward and user-friendly, and it is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using internet browsers.Ensuring that applicants are supported to obtain their status is a core element in the delivery of the Settlement Scheme. A range of direct support has been put in place by the Home Office including an Assisted Digital service for those who do not have the access, skills or confidence to complete the online form.Support can be provided over the phone, at a local centre or in home with a trained tutor. As of the 21st March there are over 150 centres across the UK supplemented by a network of over 40 tutors.For those who are unable to access the support mechanisms in place including Assisted Digital, a paper application form will be made available. A triage process will ensure paper application forms are given to those with specific needs and that they are restricted to the individual requesting them.

Knives: Crime

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are offering to communities outside London, including (1) Inverclyde, (2) Rochdale, (3) Manchester, (4) Boston, and (5) Leicester, to tackle knife-related crime.

baroness williams of trafford: On 9 April 2018, the Government published a new Serious Violence Strategy to take action to address serious violence and in particular the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The Serious Violence Strategy set out the Government’s response to serious violence and it outlines an ambitious programme involving 61 commitments and actions. Since launching the Strategy in April last year, we have made significant progress in delivering on our key commitments including:• The Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22m, which is already sup-porting 29 projects in England and Wales• Provision of £3.6m for a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre. The centre was established to tackle violent and exploitative criminal activity associated with county lines and became fully operational in September 2018;• The National County Lines Coordination Centre has co-ordinated two separate weeks of intensive law enforcement action resulting in more than 1000 arrests, over 1300 individuals engaged for safeguarding, and significant seizures of weapons and drugs; • An anti-knife crime Community Fund which provided £1.5 million in 2018/19 to support 68 projects;• The Offensive Weapons Bill to strengthen legislation on firearms, knives and corrosive substances; and• A national knife crime media campaign - #knifefree - to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime.On 2 October 2018 the Home Secretary announced further measures to address violent crime:• a consultation on new legal duty to underpin a ‘public health’ ap-proach to tackling serious violence this would mean police officers, education partners, local authority and health care professionals will have a new legal duty to take action and prevent violent crime. a new £200 million youth endowment fund- this will be delivered over 10 years and will support interventions with children and young people at risk of involvement in crime and violence. It will focus on those most at risk, such as those displaying signs such as truancy, aggression and involvement in anti-social behaviour; funding interventions to steer children and young people away from becoming serious offenders; and• an Independent Review of Drug Misuse. On 8 February, we appointed Dame Carol Black to lead a major review that will look into the ways in which drugs are fuelling serious violence.The approach establishes a new balance between prevention and the rigorous law enforcement activity. It will shift our approach towards steering young people away from crime in the first place and put in place measures to tackle the root causes. We believe that the approach set out in the Strategy, with a greater emphasis on early intervention, will address violent crime and help young people to develop the skills and resilience to live happy and productive lives away from violence but we cannot deliver this aloneOn 13 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Spring Statement that there will be £100 million additional funding in 2019/20 to tackle serious violence, including £80m of new funding from the Treasury. This will allow police to swiftly crack-down on knife crime on the areas of the country and also allow investment in Violence Reduction Units.Inverclyde is in Scotland and is therefore covered by the Scottish Government. Through the Early Intervention Youth Fund and the anti-knife crime Community Fund, we have invested in projects in Greater Manchester (including Rochdale) and Leicester. All forces, including Greater Manchester Police, Leicestershire Police and Lincolnshire Police (including Boston) participated earlier this month in Operation Sceptre, the national week of enforcement action against knife crime.

Refugees: Children

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children transferred to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 have now received section 67 leave to remain since its creation in June 2018.

baroness williams of trafford: In June 2018 we announced a new route to settlement for those children transferred under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 who do not qualify for international protection.Over 220 unaccompanied children have been transferred to the UK under section 67, and transfers of eligible children are ongoing. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details, including the specific form of leave granted, once all children are in the UK.

Asylum: Children

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have not yet received a decision on their case have been waiting for a decision for (1) over two years, (2) 18 monthstotwo years, (3)one yearto 18 months, and (4)sixmonthsto one year.

baroness williams of trafford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 03 April 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested, however we are committed to publishing more detailed figures in future data releases.We are able to provide a breakdown of total applications pending by duration (±6 months), but we can’t separately identify UASC’s in the dataset. The table has been reproduced below: Pending Duration (Initial Decision)Main applicantsMain + dependantsMore than 6 months12,21316,555Less than 6 months15,04319,300Total27,25635,855The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. There are stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place in the asylum process for unaccompanied children, in recognition of their additional needs.Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.  The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested, however we are committed to publishing more detailed figures in future data releases.We are able to provide a breakdown of total applications pending by duration (±6 months), but we can’t separately identify UASC’s in the dataset. The table has been reproduced below: Pending Duration (Initial Decision)Main applicantsMain + dependantsMore than 6 months12,21316,555Less than 6 months15,04319,300Total27,25635,855Children and unaccompanied children seeking asylum, like anyone else claiming asylum in the UK, can claim in two ways; either at port of entry or at one of the national intake units.The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. There are stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place in the asylum process for unaccompanied children, in recognition of their additional needs.While in the UK, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested, however we are committed to publishing more detailed figures in future data releases.We are able to provide a breakdown of total applications pending by duration (±6 months), but we can’t separately identify UASC’s in the dataset. The table has been reproduced below: Pending Duration (Initial Decision)Main applicantsMain + dependantsMore than 6 months12,21316,555Less than 6 months15,04319,300Total27,25635,855The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. There are stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place in the asylum process for unaccompanied children, in recognition of their additional needs.Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.  The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested, however we are committed to publishing more detailed figures in future data releases.We are able to provide a breakdown of total applications pending by duration (±6 months), but we can’t separately identify UASC’s in the dataset. The table has been reproduced below: Pending Duration (Initial Decision)Main applicantsMain + dependantsMore than 6 months12,21316,555Less than 6 months15,04319,300Total27,25635,855Children and unaccompanied children seeking asylum, like anyone else claiming asylum in the UK, can claim in two ways; either at port of entry or at one of the national intake units.The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. There are stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place in the asylum process for unaccompanied children, in recognition of their additional needs.While in the UK, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.

Asylum: Children

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have received a decision on their case in the last 18 months were waiting for a decision for (1) overtwo years, (2) 18 monthsto two years, (3)oneyear to 18 months, and (4) six monthsto one year.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested, however we are committed to publishing more detailed figures in future data releases.We are able to provide a breakdown of total applications pending by duration (±6 months), but we can’t separately identify UASC’s in the dataset. The table has been reproduced below: Pending Duration (Initial Decision)Main applicantsMain + dependantsMore than 6 months12,21316,555Less than 6 months15,04319,300Total27,25635,855Children and unaccompanied children seeking asylum, like anyone else claiming asylum in the UK, can claim in two ways; either at port of entry or at one of the national intake units.The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. There are stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place in the asylum process for unaccompanied children, in recognition of their additional needs.While in the UK, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.

Northern Ireland Office

Local Government Finance: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much confidence and supply money has been allocated to each of the eleven local councils in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: Alongside the Confidence & Supply Agreement, the UK Government committed £1 billion of financial support to Northern Ireland in support of strengthening the Northern Ireland economy and recognising that Northern Ireland has unique circumstances within the UK. The Government has so far allocated £430 million to the Northern Ireland block grant and expects the release of a further £333 million in 2019/20, subject to Parliament’s approval through the normal Estimates process. The remaining £237m will be allocated in due course. Allocations to departments are agreed as part of the Budget process with any funding filtered to local councils through a variety of funding streams, as appropriate. Specific detail on how much is allocated to local councils is not held centrally.

Treasury

Financial Services

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of uncertainty on the UK financial services sector'spreparations for a no-deal Brexit.

lord bates: The Treasury is in frequent contact with firms and regulators regarding their contingency planning for EU exit. Firms that are using the EU “passport” to serve clients in the EEA recognise that further steps to legal certainty remain, and are taking the sensible step of carrying out contingency planning with respect to their operations in the EEA in order to be ready for a scenario in which the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Government is also doing the necessary work to make sure that we continue to have a stable and functioning financial services regime at the point of leaving the EU in any scenario and to minimise disruption for UK households and businesses. As the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee set out in its Financial Policy Summary in March 2019, the core of the UK financial system, including banks, dealers and insurance companies, is resilient to, and prepared for, the wide range of risks it could face, including a worst case disorderly Brexit. That being said, we are committed to preserving our competitive position in financial services after the UK leaves the EU. An implementation period is the most effective means of ensuring a smooth and orderly exit from the EU. That is why we continue to believe leaving the EU with the deal negotiated, including an implementation period, is the best approach.

Banking Competition Remedies

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made, if any, to Banking Competition Remedies Limited in connection with its awards to banks in general, and Metro Bank in particular.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering asking, or have asked, Banking Competition Remedies Limited to reconsider theallocation of part of the RBS State aid: alternative remedies package to Metro Bank, in the light of subsequent announcements by Metro Bank of a short fall in equity capital, truncated growth in branch openings and short comings in financial control and governance oversight.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they intend to take as a result of the recent concerns raised by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority in relation to Metro Bank and, in particular, that the bank may have provided inaccurate statements to investors.

lord bates: Banking Competition Remedies (BCR) is the independent body established to implement the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) funded Alternative Remedies Package (the Package). BCR has sole responsibility for Package implementation, including responsibility for decisions on Capability and Innovation Fund (CIF) awards. Firm supervision is a matter for the independent regulators, in this case, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which jointly regulate Metro Bank.